Young siblings in critical condition after fire

A brother and sister, 3 and 6 years old, are in critical condition after a man allegedly set an adjacent bedroom at the Watuppa Heights housing project on fire early Friday morning.

Michael Holtzman

A brother and sister are in critical condition after a man allegedly set a bedroom at the Watuppa Heights housing project on fire early Friday morning, officials said.

The two hospitalized children were identified as Keraliz Hernandez, 6, and her brother, Kelvyn Hernandez, 3, children of Kedys Torres, 24, all of 18B Watuppa Heights.

Keraliz, rescued after her brother, was flown from St. Anne’s Hospital and is being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Kelvyn is being treated at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

They remain in critical condition, officials said.

“This is kind of a horror scene,” said fire Lt. William Powers, who is part of the investigation. He said the children suffered “smoke and heat inhalation injuries."

Luis Berrios, 20, whose last known address is 9 Norton Glen Road, Norton, was arraigned in Second District Court Friday afternoon and remains in custody.

He is charged with nine counts of attempted murder, kidnapping a minor by a relative, home invasion and arson of a dwelling.

Judge Christopher Welch revoked Berrios’ bail on a pending charge of possession of a Class C substance with intent to distribute. He imposed a $750,000 cash bail for the charges related to the fire at Watuppa Heights.

Berrios entered a not guilty plea on all charges.

Assistant District Attorney Garrett Fregault said Berrios called Torres, who is the mother of Berrios' 6-month-old daughter, earlier in the evening.

Police said Berrios set the fire, took his infant and fled. Berrios called police after the fire, saying, “I know I’m going to get caught. Just let me know if the kids are all right,” Fregault said.

The fire was called in by a 27-year-old babysitter, Liliana Ortiz, at 12:49 a.m., officials said.

Berrios lit the mother’s bed with a cigarette lighter, police said, which was in a bedroom adjacent to the one in which the two children were sleeping. No one was in the bedroom where the fire started.

Police said Berrios left the scene with his infant daughter, dropped her off at his father’s house in Providence and fled. He was arrested shortly afterward on I-95 north near the I-495 juncture by State Police Trooper Jason Morse, police said.

After the initial call, two responding police officers were driven back by intense heat and “blackout” smoke conditions on the second floor, Powers said.

With a large crowd outside telling rescue workers children remained inside, first Fire Department responder Lt. Michael Cabral, with protective gear, intially found the boy but not the girl. He returned a second time and found her in the bedroom, Powers said.

“He deserves a lot of credit. He did a terrific job,” Powers said of Cabral.

Powers said he was uncertain if the children, who were not breathing when rescued from their smoke-filled bedroom, were conscious after rescue workers Lt. Daniel Gerling and firefighter Paul Jennings performed CPR.

The fire at Watuppa Heights, a 100-unit public housing complex at Rodman and Warren streets, was in the middle unit of an attached trio of two-story apartments, officials said.

Powers estimated there was about $35,000 in damage to the apartment, including smoke, fire and water damage.

“This was not a huge structure fire. It was the potential loss of life that was greatest damage,” he said.

Firefighters cleared the scene at 2:32 a.m.

Along with Powers, police Detective Steven Washington of the Major Crimes Division and State Police Troopers Michael Peters and Kenneth Braley are investigating the fire.